Brilliant Breakthroughs

November 7, 2025

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A sampling of Stony Brook University faculty discoveries that have changed the world

Compiled by Shelley Catalano

From pioneering the MRI technology that transformed modern diagnostics, to opening new dimensions in physics, to identifying new species and rethinking how we communicate, Stony Brook faculty have left their mark on nearly every field of human knowledge. This collection highlights some of their most groundbreaking discoveries and innovations, showcasing how Stony Brook University’s spirit of inquiry impacts the way we explore, heal and understand the world.

BRIGHT IDEAS
Engineering & Computer Science

1990

Esther Takeuchi, Distinguished Professor and William and Jane Knapp Chair in Energy and the Environment, developed the lithium/silver vanadium oxide (Li/SVO) battery in the late 1980s (patented in 1990), which powers most implantable cardiac defibrillators and has saved countless lives. She continues to advance high-energy, long-life battery materials and electrolytes for medical devices, electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.

A woman wearing a lab coat and safety goggles holds a small object in a laboratory. She is wearing purple gloves and is standing near a laboratory workstation with equipment in the background.

1995

If you love streaming or video-chatting on Wi-Fi, you can thank SBU President Andrea Goldsmith’s pioneering wireless research for helping make it possible. Her groundbreaking work on adaptive modulation and coding — first published in a landmark 1995 paper — revolutionized the speed, reliability and efficiency of wireless communication, paving the way for the high-performance Wi-Fi, cellular and satellite networks we rely on today.

A person smiling near a row of scientific equipment set up on a paved area, with tall antennas mounted on wooden supports and a collection of cables visible. The background features an open field.

2003

In the early 1990s, Arie E. Kaufman, Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, along with Jerome Zhengrong Liang, co-director of Radiology Research at the Renaissance School of Medicine, began work on what evolved into a medical imaging first: 3D virtual colonoscopy (VC). Their FDA-approved innovation revolutionized colon cancer screenings, offering an accurate and less invasive alternative to traditional colonoscopies. They were awarded a patent for the VC software in 2003.

A medical professional sitting at a desk, smiling while viewing a CT scan on a computer monitor. The office has medical equipment in the background.

HEALTH REIMAGINED
Medical Care

1971

Chemistry professor Paul Lauterbur created the first two-dimensional image using nuclear magnetic resonance. In 2003, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this discovery, which ultimately led to the creation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the life-saving, uninvasive diagnostic tool. Approximately 150 million MRI scans are performed annually across the globe.

1982

Microbiologist Jorge Benach co-discovered the cause of Lyme disease and helped develop the first diagnostic blood test for it. By enabling early detection, Benach’s work helped improve patient outcomes, and laid the foundation for research into treatment and prevention of a disease that affects tens of thousands of people annually.

A man in a white lab coat and a tie smiling while standing at a workbench in a laboratory. Various laboratory equipment and containers are visible in the background.

1991

Eckard Wimmer published the first cell-free synthesis of a virus (poliovirus), revolutionizing viral replication studies. In 2002, he and his team followed this accomplishment with the first chemical-biochemical test-tube synthesis of a virus (again, poliovirus).

Two scientists in lab coats discussing results while holding laboratory equipment in a research lab filled with various supplies and containers.

1995

Hematologist Barry S. Coller invented Abciximab, the first drug developed from SUNY technology to be approved by the FDA as ReoPro®, the drug has helped millions of patients prevent heart attacks after angioplasty and stent procedures since its introduction.

A smiling man in a lab coat with glasses and a bow tie, standing at a cluttered laboratory desk. He holds a small object in one hand and leans on a table with various laboratory equipment and shelves filled with books.

2001

Carol Carter, an early pioneer in the HIV research field, discovered that HIV hijacks a human protein to release new virus particles from infected cells. This breakthrough revealed a new strategy for antiviral therapies by targeting host-cell factors instead of viral proteins, opening possibilities for treatments less prone to drug resistance.

An older woman with glasses and gray hair smiles while sitting at a desk, holding a blue and yellow model. In the corner, a red awareness ribbon is displayed.

THE FINAL FRONTIER
Physics & Astronomy

1954

C.N. Yang’s gauge symmetry principles provided a fundamental framework for describing forces in particle physics, underpinning the Standard Model. This reshaped modern field theory, guiding decades of research in electromagnetism and unifying fundamental forces conceptually. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957 and was recruited to join Stony Brook in 1965 to build its Institute for Theoretical Physics.

A man in a suit speaking at a wooden table in a classroom setting. Behind him, a chalkboard displays geometric drawings and graphs. A person, partially visible, listens attentively across the table.

1976

Supergravity, co-developed by Distinguished Professor Emeritus Peter van Nieuwenhuizen and former SBU professor Daniel Freedman, unifies supersymmetry with Einstein’s theory of general relativity, creating a framework in which gravity is incorporated into supersymmetric theories. This work became a cornerstone for string theory and high-energy physics, representing a major step toward a quantum theory of gravity.

An older man with gray hair and blue eyes, wearing a light-colored shirt, stands in front of a blackboard covered in mathematical equations. He appears engaged in conversation.

2005

Physicists Barbara Jacak and colleagues at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider helped demonstrate that the quark–gluon plasma created in high-energy collisions flows like a nearly perfect liquid, not a gas. This discovery revealed how matter behaved microseconds after the Big Bang, reshaping our understanding of the early universe.

A woman with glasses wearing a black blazer stands confidently in front of a large industrial machine labeled 'PHOENIX'. The machine features intricate components and is set in a well-lit environment.

2015

Astronomer Jin Koda’s discovery of ultra-dark galaxies in the Coma Cluster revealed galaxies almost entirely dominated by dark matter, with very few stars. This finding reshaped our understanding of galaxy formation and dark matter, showing that galaxies can exist even when star formation is extremely suppressed.

A person operating a large telescope inside an observatory dome, with a focus on the telescope and the individual's engagement with the equipment.

2015

Barry Barish, now the President’s Distinguished Endowed Chair in Physics, led the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) project to its first direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015. This confirmed a key prediction of Einstein’s theory of general relativity and opened a new era of astronomy. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2017 for this monumental breakthrough.

A man with long gray hair wearing a medal shakes hands with President Joe Biden in front of golden drapes in a formal setting.

DIGGING DEEPER
Biology & Anthropology

1986

Patricia Wright, a Distinguished Service Professor of Anthropology, discovered the golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus) in Madagascar’s Ranomafana rainforest. This lemur species was previously unknown to science. This find led to the establishment of Ranomafana National Park, significantly contributing to conservation efforts and biodiversity studies in Madagascar.

A woman with glasses and a brown vest is smiling while holding two monkeys on her shoulders in a green forested area.

2009/2014

Vertebrate paleontologist David W. Krause uncovered two previously unknown species in Madagascar. In 2009, he and his team found Beelzebufo aminga, or “Devil Frog,” one of the largest frogs ever to have lived. In 2014, the team identified a nearly complete cranium of groundhog-like animal,Vintana sertichi. This discovery provided new insights into early mammalian evolution.

A man in a green cap lying on the ground, studying an area of dry soil, with a small container and a pencil nearby. An inset image shows a large frog with camouflage patterns next to the container.

2014

Heather Lynch, endowed chair for Ecology and Evolution, and her team identified a previously unknown supercolony of Adélie penguins on the Danger Islands in Antarctica by analyzing satellite images for penguin guano (feces). Her use of satellites has transformed how scientists monitor wildlife at a global scale.

A person wearing a black outfit and an orange hat stands on a rocky surface next to an Adelie penguin, with snow-capped mountains in the background under a clear blue sky.

2022

Chris Gobler, endowed chair of coastal ecology and conservation, demonstrated that cultivating sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) alongside bivalves like oysters and clams significantly mitigates ocean acidification in coastal waters. This work introduced a nature-based solution to protect vital marine industries and ecosystems facing the challenges of climate change.

Two students and an instructor observe a marine specimen on a white tray in a laboratory. The setting features aquariums and equipment in a well-lit environment.

2024

Field Archeologist Sonia Harmand and her team at the Turkana Basin Institute documented 1.5-million-year-old fossil footprints near Lake Turkana, showing that Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei coexisted. This discovery provided direct evidence of multiple hominin species sharing the same landscape, offering new insights into early human behavior, ecology and evolution.

Two archaeologists working at an outdoor excavation site. One person is kneeling and examining soil, while the other is sitting nearby, focused on their work. Tools and materials are visible around them.